"That's a woman's perspective. Political struggles are so cruel and fierce; how can a loser possibly withdraw unscathed? Don't you like reading history? Think back to the five thousand years of Chinese history—in every dynasty, was there a single loser who met a good end?"
Gao Yuming gently embraced the beautiful woman in front of him, smelled the fragrance of her hair, and sighed.
"Gao Yuqiang has ruined me. I've been led by the nose without even realizing it. Sigh..."
Zhou Xiaoqin leaned quietly against the old man's chest without saying a word.
She knew Gao Yuqiang; he was Gao Yuming's younger brother, but they were more than ten years apart in age. Gao Yuqiang had previously made a living selling fish at a vegetable market in Chengdu-Chongqing City. Later, with Gao Yuming's help, both overt and covert, he developed into the most powerful force in Chengdu-Chongqing City in just a few years, with influence in both the legitimate and underworld circles.
Among the dozen or so people involved in the barbecue restaurant incident, one named Zhang Yujun is the "boy" and the younger brother of Gao Yuqiang's wife, Zhang Yuhong. Chen Qingzhi is the cousin of Chen Qingzhi from the Provincial Public Security Bureau. This forms a connection.
But unfortunately, this line was full of Gao Yuming's men, which allowed the opponent to launch a relentless attack.
Those who cherish their reputation will always get covered in mud. But often, when things are beyond their control, or when the mud becomes the target of an opponent's attack, they need to decisively brush off the mud that has gotten on them.
But the mud on Gao Yuming's body wasn't so easy to brush off; he would have to pay a heavy price to sever this connection.
"Secretary Gao and Director Chen Qingzhi of the Provincial Public Security Department have arrived."
Behind him, the secretary reported.
Gao Yuming paused for a moment, looked at Zhou Xiaoqin and smiled, "You came pretty quickly."
......
Resort, a private garden.
A man who looked to be in his thirties or forties, with graying temples and an imposing presence, was pacing back and forth, his face filled with anxiety and worry.
Laughter came from not far away. Zhou Xiaoqin escorted Gao Yuming to the pavilion and then left.
When Chen Qingzhi saw Gao Yuming arrive, his face lit up with joy, and he quickly went to greet him.
"Teacher, what time is it? You still have the mood to play golf?"
This is another connection. Chen Qingzhi was Gao Yuming's student. When Gao Yuming was a professor at the Political and Legal Affairs University, he had several favorite students, and Chen Qingzhi was one of them.
"What's the panic? You're already the director of the provincial public security department. You need to remain calm even if Mount Tai collapses in front of you."
After helping Gao Yuming sit down, Chen Qingzhi said, "Teacher, you make it sound so easy. This is a life-or-death political struggle."
"Precisely because it is a life-or-death struggle, we must not lose our composure; the sky will not fall down."
Gao Yuming took a sip of tea and continued, "I've been in power in Panda Province for twenty years. I've seen all kinds of storms. To think you can bring me down with this is wishful thinking."
"But teacher, the situation is really critical now. We haven't done anything, but we're being led by the nose by the other side."
Chen Qingzhi was even more anxious than Gao Yuming. As Gao Yuming's student, he naturally hoped that Gao Yuming could take the next step and sit in that position, so that he himself could rise to the rank of vice governor. The distance between the director-general and vice governor seems to be only one step, but in reality, it is a long way to go.
"Nothing lasts forever; things are always changing. What you're looking for is what's going on."
Gao Yuming asked.
"It's not easy to investigate. The other party has a lot of power, and a lot of information is kept secret. But the fact that it's not easy to investigate proves everything. So we reacted very quickly and cleared that girl out of the picture. This move was perfect."
"What about Chen Feng?"
"On the surface, he is just an ordinary person and a singer. His influence in the music industry goes without saying, but in other aspects, he seems to have nothing. I checked his travel records over the years, and he only went to Beijing for a few days recently. Apart from that, he has never left Chengdu and Chongqing."
Chen Qingzhi said.
"Do you believe that a singer can intersect with certain circles and even become romantic partners? This is the biggest and most dangerous question."
"If we don't handle Chen Feng properly, that will be the key to our survival."
Gao Yuming pondered for a while, then said, "Our opponents are forcing us to make a choice: to choose to be good officials or to choose to be protectors."
Chen Qingzhi: "We can choose to stay put and let things develop as they will, since none of this is under our control anyway."
"You're so confused. What's your position? You're the Director of the Provincial Public Security Department. What's my position? I'm the Secretary of the Provincial Political and Legal Affairs Commission."
“If this matter gets out of control, we will be implicated.”
Gao Yuming said.
"So what should we do? Public opinion is now completely in the hands of the other side, and we have no way to control it."
Chen Qingzhi's expression was very unpleasant.
"Two methods: First, put aside personal ties for the greater good and quickly dust ourselves off, but this will result in significant losses for us. Second, quickly establish an ironclad case and gamble on the fact that Chen Feng has no one backing him."
Gao Yuming toyed with his teacup and continued, "But it's obvious that from a holistic perspective, we can't touch Chen Feng. Moreover, if we choose to take action against Chen Feng, our opponents will definitely release the full video, causing a reversal in public opinion, and our credibility will be severely damaged."
"If we brush off the dirt, although we may gain some credibility, we will lose far more than we gain."
Chen Qingzhi paced back and forth, deep in thought.
He knew very well that Gao Yuming's words were mainly meant for him. After all, he was born in the countryside and climbed to this position step by step. Many rural ideas were deeply ingrained in him. After becoming the director, he even arranged for the dogs from his hometown to become police dogs.
If he chooses to brush off the mud, then all those relatives will be driven away, and in severe cases, there may even be bloodshed.
"This is already a case known throughout the country. Don't think that just a few people can confess. A police station chief or a district bureau chief can't quell public opinion. At the very least, the root of the problem will be destroyed. A deputy mayor will be sacrificed, and even the municipal party secretary will be punished."
Gao Yuming's expression was calm, but his tone was icy.
This game of chess is a game of choices.
The only unpleasant thing is that he is the only one who has to make the choice, while his opponents can always escape unscathed no matter what choice he makes.
Chen Feng, a seemingly insignificant figure, was the very weapon his opponents used to kill Gao Yuming. On one side was his own relatives and confidants, and on the other was a celebrity who seemed uninvolved in politics. It was an easy choice, but also the most fatal one.
Choosing relatives and confidants as rivals will definitely reverse public opinion. The people behind Chen Feng may not even give him a chance to fight back. Beijing is a terrifying place.
Choosing Chen Feng is tantamount to Gao Yuming cutting off his own arm, greatly weakening his strength.
......
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com